F-35 Schoolhouse Marks 500th Flight

Air Force and Marine Corps F-35s at the joint-service schoolhouse at Eglin AFB, Fla., reached their 500th combined sortie since flight operations began there earlier this year, announced aircraft prime contractor Lockheed Martin. A 33rd Fighter Wing F-35 hit the half-thousand sortie mark on Nov. 2—238 days after flying operations commenced on March 6, states the company’s release. The sortie rate at Eglin continues to accelerate as more F-35s arrive and the schoolhouse ramps up to full-up pilot training. The wing’s mixed fleet of Air Force F-35As and Marine Corps F-35Bs currently stands at 22 aircraft, according to Lockheed Martin. (See also Eglin Wing Flies 100th F-35 Sortie.)